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A good cheap controller to use on most games.

When my PS3 controller broke I sought out looking for a new one. As I did not play my PS3 that much, I decided against purchasing an official controller, as they are fairly expensive, and instead decided to go with the Quick Act controller that I found at Argos.

Rather than the controller syncing up with the PS3, the Quick Act controller instead uses a bluetooth usb port, which plugs into the front of the PS3. While this isn't too inconvenient, if the bluetooth connector gets lost, then the controller becomes completely useless, as you are unable to use the controller using another connector from a different Quick Act controller.

The controller itself is heavier than its official Sony counterpart, but this due to the batteries in the controller. Rather than the controller using a connector to charge the controller, the Quick Act controller requires 3 AAA batteries. Once again this isn't too much of a problem, though it can be slightly inconvenient if the batteries run out. Because of the batteries, the controller must also be turned on using a switch at the back of the controller.

The controller works quite well, and has a very similar feel to the Sony Sixaxis controller. The analouge sticks aren't too stiff, so it is very easy to move characters about on the screen etc, and the buttons are easy enough to use, although they are slightly smaller than on the Sony controller. the D-pad feels quite plastic and cheap, but it does its job well enough, and I've had no major issues with it. the start and select buttons are up at the top of the controller, which means that it may take a second to readjust, as I found myself automatically going to press where the pause button is placed on the Sony controller.

The one major downside to this controller is that there are no motion sensitive capabilities. While this isn't too much of a problem with the majority of games, its makes some games completely unplayable. I did not realise straight away that the controller didn't have motion sensitive capabilities, and tried to play Heavy Rain. This meant that I could not get further than about 5 minutes into the game.

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Cheap but good PS3 controller

As the Playstation 3's official controller (the 'DualShock3') is a pricey item, it's no surprise that there are a range of cheaper alternatives to choose from. However, many of these third-party options are poorly made and unreliable, so it's difficult to know which one to buy. Currently, one of the best options is Quick Act's budget controller which is available from Argos. In the catalogue, the listing makes no mention of the Quick Act brand, and it's simply shown as the 'PS3 Compatible Dualshock Controller'. In terms of the cost, I bought the controller for £9.99, but I've recently noticed that the price has been raised to £14.99. The controller is wireless and has a rumble feature - two 'extras' that are rare for the cheaper ones, so on paper, the Quick Act looks like a great buy - but how does it perform?

Design & Appearance- - - - - - - - - - - - - -At first glance, it would appear that the Quick Act controller is identical to the DualShock3, and it feels just as comfortable in the hands - the four main Playstation 'shape' buttons are a little smaller by comparison, but they feel nice and solid to the press. The two thumb-sticks are excellent - feeling tactile and smooth to move around, so no issues here. The triggers are very good too - spongy, with a quality which is better than the low price tag would suggest. The controller requires three AAA batteries to operate, and these slot neatly into a section on the pad's rear - in my experience, the batteries last a reasonable amount of time before they need replacing which is certainly a good thing. For the Wireless capabilities, the controller ships with a small USB 'dongle' which plugs in the front of your console.

Using the Game Pad & Final Word- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -When you first use the pad, you'll have to switch it on via a small switch at the rear, and then also switch on the rumble feature with another switch (I'm not sure why the rumble has to be turned on separately, but for the price, i'm not going to complain!). In terms of its weight, the controller is a lot heavier than the DualShock3 - and this is primarily because of its batteries. Rather than being a bad thing however, the added weight gives the pad a bit of substance. In terms of the additional features, there's a 'turbo' button, which allows the use of rapid fire should you want it - personally, it's not something that I would ever use.

So let's look at the potential issues - firstly, the D-Pad on the left hand side isn't especially impressive, feeling plasticky and loose to the touch - that said, the D-Pad's use in games is rare these days, so it isn't a real problem for me. The other issue is that the controller doesn't have motion-sensitive capabilities like the Dualshock3 - but then again, you wouldn't expect it to for the price. Overall then, the Quick Act is a superb controller if you can get it for £9.99, and much better than some of the more expensive ones that you can currently buy.